Checking downstream side of bridge at 11th & Baughman (Photos courtesy Taft Yates)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
ELLIS–Three-day rainfall reported amounts in Ellis ranging from 6.38 inches to 10.50 inches caused localized flooding Sunday morning. The city temporarily the intersection at 10th and Baughman due to rising waters.
The Ellis Lakeside Campground attracted many residents taking pictures of the overflow dam in Big Creek.
Ellis Police Chief Taft Yates is cautioning drivers to “please be careful at all low water crossings and any water over the roadway.”
The weather forecast is calling for more spring storms Tuesday and Wednesday.
Log jam at 11th and Baughman
Water over the dam in Ellis Lakeside Campground
Big Creek west of Ellis
Checking downstream side of bridge at 11th & Baughman
Downstream from bridge at 11th & Baughman in Ellis
The Ellis County Commission will consider bids for the deck replacement of bridge No. 350 on Yocemento Avenue over the Saline River at Monday’s commission meeting.
Earlier this year, the Public Works Department sent a request for bids to replace the bridge deck on bridge No. 350 because it has a hole in it. According to the bid sheet, the county received four bids ranging from $142,805 to $226,593. Kaw Valley Engineering estimated the base bid at $131,187.
In his memo to the county commission, Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes said he wanted to the commission to have input on the public works projects selected for reconstruction. He said the county is considering a number of projects, and they want the commission’s feedback.
The commission will also get the month report from the health department.
Monday’s meeting starts with the Public Building Commission at 5 p.m. with the regular commission meeting to follow at the County Administrative Center, 718 Main.
RILEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Riley County are investigating a suspect in connection with a weekend stand-off.
Just before 7:30a.m. on Sunday the Riley County Police Department received the first of several 911 calls from an isolated, rural farmhouse in 4400 Block of River Road, according to a media release.
The sole occupant notified the Riley County Police Department that he was armed and dangerous.
As officers were in the vicinity of the residence attempting to check the occupant’s welfare a shot was fired from inside the house.
Follow-up investigation revealed that the occupant, a 64-year-old man, according to police, had previously threatened relatives and intended to harm himself.
The Riley County Police Department then activated its negotiations and tactical teams with assistance from the Junction City Police Department, Topeka Police Department in the form of additional tactical personnel and armored vehicles.
A protracted standoff ensued during which more shots were fired from inside of the house.
Officers with the Riley County Police Department subsequently received a court order to take the occupant into custody.
Officers used tear gas to get the occupant out of the house followed by baton rounds to take him into custody. The occupant was taken into police protective custody at approximately 8:00 p.m.
He received only minor injuries and remains in protective custody.
At one point during the incident one of the rounds fired from inside the house struck an occupied armored vehicle and a criminal report was filed.
PRATT – Soak up the sun, hike a trail, build a craft, enter a 5K, shoot some archery – whatever floats your boat, chances are you’ll be able to enjoy it at a Kansas state park on Sat., April 23, during the 2016 Open House event and the best part is, it may only cost you the gas it takes to get there.
In an effort to showcase the many exciting and fun times that can be had at Kansas state parks, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) will host a free entrance day and open houses at all state parks on April 23. Visitors do not need to pay to enter the park on that day, and staff will be available to answer questions and give tours.
Area state parks and their special events are listed below:
Cedar Bluff
Park Office will be open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Build your own Trail Mix will be available in the office
Go on a Earth Day hike on Agave Ridge Hiking Trail
Staff will be available for questions and for cabin tours all day
Webster
Park office open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for license and permit sales
Stockton Recreation Commission will be holding a Run/Walk the Coyote Trail at 9:00 a.m. Meet at trail entrance. The route will be the 3 mile long loop. No Cost – Call Bridget Starbuck at (785) 425-7016 with questions.
Wilson
Park office open 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. for license/permit sales.
She was excited and honored to be named homecoming queen at Fort Hays State University last fall. Imagine how Sierra Archer must have felt when she learned that honor earned her the chance to compete for the title of Miss Kansas.
Because of a new selection process for homecoming queen candidates last year, Archer qualified to compete as Miss Fort Hays State in the Miss Kansas Pageant, set for June 7-11 in Pratt.
Archer, a junior from Valley Center, is ecstatic about representing her university at the Miss Kansas Pageant, which selects the state’s representative in the Miss America Pageant. And she hopes the rest of the FHSU family jumps on board as well.
One certainly has.
“Having a Miss Fort Hays State for the first time in the history of the Miss Kansas pageant recognizes the importance of our university as a part of Kansas,” said Dr. Mirta M. Martin, president of Fort Hays State. “I think that’s very significant.”
Saturday was Miss America Serves Day, and Archer chose the Tigers’ annual football scrimmage as her venue for her service project. She collected donations for the Children’s Miracle Network, Miss Kansas’ national philanthropic partnership.
Because of rainy weather, the scrimmage was moved indoors to the Schmidt-Bickle Training Facility. And Archer found the perfect spot to greet fans at the front door. Fans also had the opportunity to take photos with Miss Fort Hays State.
Archer works at Washington Connections, a Head Start program in Hays USD 489, and is passionate about “the impact a quality preschool education can have on a child.” She has chosen as her pageant platform “Equal Valued and Early Education: Bridging the Achievement Gap.” Her talent number also will involve the Head Start program; it’s a monologue that Archer wrote herself about her experiences working with children in the Head Start program.
Fort Hays State will have two students competing for 2016 Miss Kansa honors. Kelsey Cohoon, a sophomore from Jetmore, was crowned Miss Cowboy Capital earlier this year in Dodge City to advance to the Miss Kansas Pageant.
While Cohoon has chosen a different venue for her Miss America Serves Day project, she too will be present at the Tiger football scrimmage because she is a Fort Hays State cheerleader.
“It is an honor to have not just one student, but two of our students, who will be competing in this pageant,” Martin said. “They both do us a great deal of honor.”
Archer said she was “shocked” when she received an email from the Miss Kansas organization, saying she was eligible to compete this year because of her homecoming queen title.
Archer was encouraged by her mom to give it a try.
“When I got the email, I first called my mom, and she was really excited,” Archer said. “She thought it was a great opportunity for me. It wasn’t something I automatically said yes to, but her opinion pushed me to do it.”
Archer said she is “very excited that there are two” Fort Hays State students competing at the Miss Kansas Pageant this year.
“It gives us a better chance to show people we can still compete, even if we’re not in a major metropolitan city,” she said.
Plus, the two already knew each other.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with her,” Archer said of Cohoon, a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. “I can ask questions and get advice from her.”
Archer got the chance to even consider competing for Miss Kansas because of a change in format for nomination candidates for the FHSU homecoming queen.
In the past, potential candidates filled out an application, and the student body voted on them. Last fall, a committee made up of university personnel screened the applications, then chose some for interviews.
“Because we went through that interview process, that qualified the (FHSU) homecoming queen to compete in Miss Kansas,” Archer said.
One major responsibility for Miss Fort Hays State is raising her own money for the Children’s Miracle Network and personal expenses, which is somewhat different from contestants who are crowned queens from scholarship pageants.
“Once you win a local pageant, you already have a team, and you have directors and mentors and coaches who train you right off the bat,” Archer said. “They have a little posse to help them get connections and get sponsors. For me, it was very different. I had my homecoming queen title, but it doesn’t come with directors or anything like that.”
While Archer said she has had a lot of support through Fort Hays State, she has done most of her fundraising herself online. Information for making donations can be found on the Miss Fort Hays State Facebook page.
Archer has hit the road hard this spring trying to secure sponsorships.
Archer — who founded the FHSU honor society, Society of Leadership and Achievement — is also a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, a member of Delta Zeta sorority and vice president for the Order of Omega, a Greek leadership honor society.
“I think it speaks volumes to her commitment, to be able to have a platform and showcase it while having to do her own fundraising” while working toward her degree in speech and language pathology, Martin said. “There is really no internal structure set up this year to be able to fully support her in the manner some of these other ladies have. They come from towns and municipalities that have been doing this for years, and they have the support system established.
“Next year,” Martin added, “we’re hoping through the homecoming committee that chooses the homecoming king and queen candidates we can create a mechanism where we can support in a stronger manner the next Miss Fort Hays State.”
Even though this new venture has added more responsibilities to an already busy schedule, Archer said she is embracing the opportunity.
“It’s something no one here has done before,” she said. “I would like homecoming queens in the future to be able to have this opportunity. I wanted to be the frontrunner in that process.
“And it’s a great opportunity for me to grow as a person,” she added. “In the short couple of months I’ve been doing this, I’ve already grown a lot and learned a lot. It’s a lot of preparation, but it’s not just preparation for the pageant. It’s preparation for life.”
Big Creek in Ellis Sunday afternoon (Photo courtesy Heather Lyman)
ELLIS–With several reports of more than six inches of rain over the weekend in Ellis, city council members will spend part of their meeting tonight talking about water issues.
Agenda items for discussion include considering authorization for the mayor to sign an application for a permit to appropriate water, approval of the wastewater treatment plant pay application and additional water valves for infrastructure.
The complete Monday meeting agenda follows.
AGENDA April 18, 2016
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF ELLIS
City Hall – Council Meeting Room
BILLS ORDINANCE REVIEW WORK SESSION BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL AND MEETING CALL TO ORDER AT 7:30 P.M.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA (if needed)
1) CONSENT AGENDA
a) Minutes from Regular Meeting on April 4, 2016
b) Bills Ordinance #1995
(Council will review for approval under one motion under the consent agenda. By majority vote of the governing body, any item may be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately)
PUBLIC COMMENTS
(Each speaker will be limited to five minutes. If several people from the group wish to speak on same subject, the group must appoint a spokesperson. ALL comments from public on agenda items must be during Public Comment. Once council begins their business meeting, no more comments from public will be allowed.)
2) PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)
3) SPECIAL ORDER
a) Introduction of New Police Officer
b) Review of 2016 City Insurance Policy and Consider Approval for Payment – Darrell Romme, Romme Insurance
c) Fire Department Monthly Report – Chief Denis Vine
4) UNFINISHED BUSINESS
a) Discuss Fire Department Callout Policy – Fire Chief Denis Vine
b) Consider Ordinance Amending Section 4-125 Work by Property Owners
c) Consider Ordinance Providing for Decoration of Grave Spaces
d) Consider Approval of Repairs of Sewer Belt Press
5) NEW BUSINESS
a) Discuss Council Approval of Event Requests and Disposal of Property
b) Consider Approval of Certificate of Destruction of Records
c) Discuss City Policy on Civil Leave
d) Consider Authorization for Mayor to Sign Application for Permit to Appropriate Water
e) Consider Approval of Wastewater Treatment Plant Pay Application #1
f) Discuss Additional Water Valves for Infrastructure
g) Discussion and Update on PRIDE Committee
h) Consider Approval of Renewal of Billboards from LAMAR Signs
6) REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS
a) Administrative
1) Public Works
(1) Department Update
2) Police
(1) Department Update
3) City Clerk
(1) March Health Insurance Summary
(2) Minutes from Committee Meetings
(3) Results from Sales Tax Election
(4) Department Update
4) Attorney
5) Mayor Update and Announcements
EXECUTIVE SESSIONS
7) ADJOURNMENT
K-State Research and Extension of Ellis County invites you to attend “Pesticides and Pollinators”. This program will be held on Thursday, April 21st, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the back meeting room of the Ellis County Extension Office at 601 Main St. in Hays.
K-State Research and Extension Entomology Specialist, Dr. Raymond Cloyd, will cover the major issues associated with bee decline in the USA in relation to the many interacting stressors, how pesticides may directly and indirectly affect bees and other pollinators, and then what strategies can be implemented to protect bees and pollinators in landscapes.
Dr. Cloyd will also address the characteristics of so-called “organic pesticides” including benefits and limitations, and provide detailed information on some of the common pesticides commonly used in “organic” production systems.
The Pesticides and Pollinators program is free to the public but it is requested that those interested in attending pre-register with the Ellis County Extension Office at (785) 628-9430, no later than Wednesday, April 20th.
Much needed spring rain has fallen in the area since Friday. Official reports for Hays from the K-State Agriculture Research Center Monday morning show a three-day total of 5.25 inches.
Rainfall at the Eagle Media Center totaled 5.40 inches. There was more rain to the west with Ellis reporting 6.38 inches and 7.43 inches reported in eastern Trego County.
Sunday was cooler with a high temperature of 49 degrees; Saturday’s high was 60 degrees.
Rainfall amounts in Hays each day were:
Friday, April 15: 0.52
Sat., April 16: 4:03
Sun., April 17: 0.70
Flood warnings were issued Sunday for northeast Ellis County until 7:30 p.m. Monday morning the current in Hays Big Creek was flowing freely in Frontier Park and throughout the Fort Hays State University campus.
BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. officials say the U.S. will send 200 more troops and a number of Apache helicopters to Iraq to assist in the fight against the Islamic State group.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the new forces will largely be used to advise Iraqi forces closer to the front lines.
In Iraq #SecDef announces accelerants to defeat #ISIL. List includes expanding advise & assist efforts to help Iraqi forces liberate Mosul
The announcement comes during a push to retake the key city of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest. The decision reflect weeks of discussions with commanders and Iraqi leaders, and a decision by President Barack Obama to increase the authorized troop level in Iraq by 217 — or from 3,870 to 4,087.
Most of the additional troops would probably be Army special forces, who have been used to advise and assist the Iraqis. The remainder would include some trainers, security forces for the advisers, and more maintenance teams for the Apaches.
The advise-and-assist teams — made up of about a dozen troops each — would embed with Iraqi brigades and battalions, putting them closer to the fight, and at greater risk from mortars and rocket fire. They would have security forces with them.
The annual Hays High School FFA chapter plant sale is being held on April 19 and 22 from 3:30 to 6 p.m., and April 23 from 8 to 11 a.m.
The sale is located in the HHS E-Building Greenhouse located at the back of the entrance to the east parking lot. A sign will be posted on 13th Street directing traffic to the greenhouse.
“We grow the plants we sell and they are cared for by all FFA members and Mr. (Curt) Vajnar’s student aide, Jarett Pfannenstiel,” said Laura Montgomery, a junior and FFA officer.
Local gardeners will have plenty of stock to choose from. “There are approximately 400 trays of flowers and 50 trays of vegetables. We also have about 100 hanging pots,” Montgomery added.
(Photos courtesy Laura Montgomery)
The plant sale benefits scholarships for seniors, and also to send FFA members to contests, conventions and the Denver Stock Show.
Wondering just what legislators are going to talk about—and the governor is going to talk to legislators about—during the upcoming veto session of the Legislature when the biggest issue is whether Kansas can make it through the fiscal year?
Think we’ve found it: Gov. Sam Brownback’s effort to end the border war between four Kansas and five Missouri counties over economic development, job and industry growth in the metropolitan Kansas City area.
That border war, with each state negotiating with businesses to move their headquarters and plants and such into their state, has Missouri companies moving to Kansas and Kansas companies moving to Missouri.
The strategic weapons for that border clash is very simply money. Kansas offers firms bonuses and preferred tax treatment for jobs coming west across the state line, and Missouri does the same thing.
So, if there can be an end to that so-called border war, both states save the money and the tax advantages they now use to lure jobs and economic development across the state line. Sounds like a reasonable but costly battle between the economic development gurus of each state.
Hey, what if companies just make their own decisions based on sound business practices? The four Kansas and five Missouri counties are close, probably no big problem driving to and from work whichever side of the state line an employer is headquartered.
Missouri has a little advantage—being to the east of Kansas—because Kansans driving to Missouri jobs have the sun in their eyes both ways, while Missourians driving to Kansas have the sun at their backs both ways.
But…Brownback’s de-escalation of the battle of financial incentives requires the Missouri legislature in the next few weeks to pass a bill that would strike down statutory tax breaks for firms moving to Missouri while Kansas’ effort…well…it’s mostly a letter to the Kansas Secretary of Commerce to stop offering Kansas’ panoply of lures if and only if Missouri strikes down its tax breaks.
Hmmm…let’s see, Missouri passes a law prohibiting lures for business. Kansas has its secretary of commerce—who is appointed by the governor who has two years left of his term—well, we guess frame, or at least laminate, Brownback’s directive.
Sound a little unequal?
Oh, and let’s not forget that those business-lures come at a cost to the state, which is nearly broke and doesn’t really have the cash to offer those business incentives. So, broke Kansas which can’t afford bullets for its eco-devo gun talks Missouri into unloading its gun by statute.
Kansas would still offer incentives for businesses to move across the state line, including letting businesses which move into Kansas essentially keep for several years the Kansas income tax that would have been paid by only newly hired workers, instead of everyone who crosses the border to go to work as under the current program. Oh, and if a Missouri firm puts up a new building that costs at least $10 million, then the business gets to keep the income tax of all its workers.
Brownback has found a sponsor for a bi-state committee to discuss how to make the plan work, how to cooperate to bring business to the entire Kansas City market area—no matter which side of the state line an enterprise locates.
But, besides the distraction from the state’s budget problems…we’re thinking that the real boon here might be which state gets to cater the lunches and dinners for that bi-state council.
Will Missouri fall for it? We’ll see, won’t we…
Syndicated by Hawver News Co. of Topeka, Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report. To learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit www.hawvernews.com.
SALINE COUNTY -Beginning this week, registered voters in Saline County will receive a ballot in the mail asking whether the city’s special sales tax should be increased from 0.4% to 0.75% for the next 20 years.
The Salina City Commission previously voted in favor of committing the $9.35 million the special tax is expected to raise each year for improvements to city streets, stabilizing property tax, parks, job creation, capital improvements, neighborhood revitalization and the Smoky Hill River channel cleanup. according to a media release.
A “yes” vote will be in favor of increasing the special sales tax.
If voters approve, Salina’s overall sales tax will increase from 8.40% to 8.75%, an increase of 35 cents for every $100 spent.
Salina voters approved a 0.4% special sales tax in 2008. That tax will expire in 2019, unless it’s replaced sooner by the higher tax that would go into effect if this vote is approved.
According to Saline County Clerk Don Merriman, about 29,000 ballots will be sent to the Post Office today, and registered voters should receive them by Wednesday or Thursday.
Merriman said the ballots must be in his office by 12 p.m. on May 10.
If voters reject the sales tax increase, Salina City Manager Jason Gage said that money derived from the 0.4% sales tax from 2008 should be enough to fund the current level of services to the city until early 2019.
KDWPT
EL CO EXTENSION
By BECKY KISER
By BECKY KISER
